Food & Dining

Steven Raichlen's "Man Made Meals," a guy's guide to the kitchen

Steven Raichlen says, "I'm trying to teach process, not just recipes. Take the old, make it new and play with the icons." (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)

What with the long-standing — and often loudly lamented — domination of professional kitchens by men, you might doubt the need for Steven Raichlen's "Man Made Meals: The Essential Cookbook for Guys."

But as many will be quick to point out — and truthful guys able to admit — demographics in restaurants and catering outfits do not reflect what goes on in the privacy of the home.

Which is where Raichlen's new book comes in, all 631 recipe-packed, advice-giving and go-get-'em-boy pages of it. Yours for $24.95.

"In general, women cook for necessity and guys often cook for show," said Raichlen, who was in Colorado last week for his annual "Barbecue University" at The Broadmoor.

"Showmanship — theater, if you will — is a very important part of cooking for guys. Men seem to enjoy it more," he said. "Of course, that could be because women have historically gotten saddled with the job as a chore rather than something to enjoy."

That assertion could launch a thousand debates about gender roles, kitchen tradition, and the untying of apron strings which the late, great Betty Friedan championed — all of which we will leave Raichlen to field on his own.

"Men cook differently than women, in terms of how we cook as much as what we cook," said Raichlen in an interview. "We like big flavors. And while some of the ingredients are simple, such as proteins, we tend to like complicated sauces and cool gadgets, such as smoke guns."

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The words on the cover evoke a chest-beating vibe: "pound," "batter," "chop," "torch," "smoke" — all channeling your dormant 9-year-old. "Knives," "fire" and "booze" are tossed in for good measure.

It's not that Raichlen thinks guys can't navigate their way into the kitchen. He just wants to help them figure out what to do when they get there. Something beyond merely being underfoot and wondering where the knife drawer sits.

The idea for the cookbook came from Raichlen's publisher, the late Peter Workman, who died in April 2013.

"Having taught guys to cook outdoors, he thought it would be good to write a book that is a crash course for guys cooking indoors," Raichlen said.

The book is also something of a manifesto. Among Raichlen's tenets:

• Knowledge is power. The more you know about ingredients and basic technique, the better you will cook.

• You don't need to know how to cook everything. Master a few iconic dishes and you'll be set.

• You hunger for flavor. Go bold.

• How you cook matters as much as what you cook.

• Eat what's good for you and the planet.

"I'm trying to teach process, not just recipes," Raichlen said. "Take the old, make it new and play with the icons."

He offers a range of advice:

The right equipment is crucial — which doesn't automatically translate into expensive — especially when it comes to knives.

Choosing the right-sized pot or pan is important. Overcrowding meats into a too-small pan, and it winds up stewing, not searing.

"The flavor lies in the sear, in the browning and the crunch," Raichlen said. And always preheat the pan. You'll get so much better flavor."

Proper provisioning is essential. "Probably the most important thing to cooking well is to shop well," Raichlen said. Buy fresh, seek out what looks good that day, and be flexible. If the store doesn't have a beef cutlet you want, don't panic. Try pork.

"I feel in some funny way we can have a global impact just by some of our cooking decisions," he said. "If enough people ask about the organic produce and heritage meats, chefs and grocers take notice. That's how change happens."

Plan out the meal and how the ingredients will be sequenced. Factor in prep times for such tasks as slicing and dicing. If you know you'll be adding cheese to a pasta casserole, grate it while the noodles are boiling so it will be ready to add when you assemble the dish.

And for heavens sake, have that oven or grill fired up beforehand.

"Also, avoid the guy syndrome of 'If some is good, more is better,'" Raichlen said. "Sometimes you want to dial it up, but sometimes you want to dial it back."

A recipe calling for one teaspoon of an assertive herb such as tarragon will not be improved by two tablespoons of the stuff, unless you want to turn your bearnaise sauce into a licorice bomb.

Raichlen, who lives in Miami, has authored a number of cookbooks, including "Planet Barbecue!" and "Beer-Can Chicken: And 74 Other Offbeat Recipes for the Grill."

He returned to Colorado Springs last week for his "Barbecue U" seminar, presented to a pack of adoring fans at The Broadmoor, the posh hotel and resort.

Then up to Denver for a book-signing at Williams-Sonoma in Park Meadows Mall, and finally a stop at Acorn restaurant on Brighton Boulevard. (He also wanted to visit Beast + Bottle in the Uptown neighborhood, but time and, perhaps, his eye on a still-trim waistline, prevented him.)

On Raichlen's first trip to Uruguay, a chivito was his introduction to that country's cuisine. This is a classic kitchen-sink sandwich, one that Raichlen says "makes a Philly cheeseteak look downright anorexic." That's a bold statement. Then again, a chivito is a bold sandwich. Makes 2 sandwiches.

Ingredients

2 kaiser rolls

2 tablespoons mayonnaise, preferably Best or Hellmann's

2 Boston lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels

4 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise

2 beef steaks, 3-4 ounces each, cut or pounded ¼ inch thick

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 slices jack or mild cheddar cheese

2 large eggs

1 ripe tomato, thinly sliced

2 large strips roasted red pepper (optional)

Directions

Cut rolls almost in half through the side. Spread the cut sides with the mayonnaise. Place a lettuce leaf on the bottom of each roll. Set aside.

Arrange the bacon in a single layer in a large cold skillet and heat over medium. Cook bacon until it is crisped and browned, 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Leave bacon fat in skillet.

Season steaks with salt and pepper to taste. Heat skillet over high. Add steaks to skillet and cook to taste (2 minutes per side for medium).

Place steaks on rolls and top with bacon and cheese. Leave fat in skillet. Heat the skillet again over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into the skillet and cook until the whites are crisp and brown on the bottom, carefully turning with a spatula. Slide eggs onto sandwich atop the cheese.

Top each egg with tomato slices and a strip of red pepper, if using. Adjust seasonings. Slice sandwiches in half and serve.

Farm Stand Salad

This is a lovely, colorful salad with farmers markets now in season. Serves 2-4.

Ingredients

2 ears sweet corn, husked and de-silked

1 pint local cherry tomatoes, cut in half, or 1 large heirloom tomato, cut in chunks

6 ounces haricot verts or slender green beans, rinsed and stemmed

1 bunch arugula, rinsed and patted dry

2 tablespoons coarse-chopped fresh dill, basil, tarragon, chervil or other summer herbs, or a combo of them

Cut the corn kernels off the cobs. Place kernels in large bowl. Add the tomatoes, green beans, arugula and herbs. Pour oil, vinegar and maple syrup over the salad, but don't toss it. (The salad can be made and refrigerated a couple of hours before serving.)

Place shrimp in bowl and sprinkle with the Old Bay. Toss well to coat, then add 1 tablespoon of oil and toss again.

Preheat broiler to high. Place shrimp on broiler pan a couple of inches from the broiler and cook until browned outside and cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side.

Transfer the cooked shrimp to a platter and let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The shrimp can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead to this stage.

Make the cocktail sauce: Place ketchup, horseradish, orange zest and juice, Worcestershire sauce and chipotles with their juices in a bowl and whisk to mix. Refrigerate the cocktail sauce, covered, until ready to serve.

To serve, divide the cocktail sauce among 4 small bowls, one for each diner. Serve shrimp on the platter with the cilantro sprigs (optional) on top.

Finger-burner Lamb Chops

Scottadito is Italian for "finger burner," and these lamb chops are served smoking hot. Ask the butcher to "French" the bones, scraping them clean for the last 2-3 inches to create easier handling. Serves 4.

Ingredients

2½ pounds small lamb rib chops, cut ½ inch thick

Coarse salt and freshly cracked or ground black peppercorns

1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

1-4 tablespoons good olive oil

Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Arrange lamb chops in a single layer on a baking sheet. Generously season on one side with salt and pepper and half of the hot pepper flakes, minced garlic and rosemary. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the chops and pat the ingredients into the meat with your fingertips. Let marinate for about 20 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast-iron plan over high heat until shimmering. Add chops in a single layer, working in batches as needed. Cook until well-browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip chops and cook another 3 minutes, or to taste.

Place chops on a platter and encourage guests to eat them straight from the bone. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing and plenty of napkins.

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